Expecting the Unexpected
by Catch Fireflies
Summary: A seemingly simple assignment in Health Class? Or a life changing experience? What starts out as homework twists and turns into a chaotic adventure for two maturing teenagers. RyouxOC; No Mary-Sue; Rating may change. Enjoy!
1. 001

_Hello, everyone! I am Catch Fireflies and I'm officially back on FF.  
This story was originally written in a notebook of mine in the 8th grade.  
I've added things, revised it, and overall improved the whole thing.  
I know that OCs are very controversial, but this character is me.  
I use every piece of me that I possess, I'm real.  
So please, read with an open mind._

_This is Part 1. I do hope you like it._

**/////**_  
_

Shortly before summer vacation and graduation, the seniors of Domino City High School were given a rather challenging test. For Health class, they were required to experience "family living". You know, baby simulation, husband and wife, marital finances, and other things of the like. A proper assignment, considering these young adults would soon be entering a much more mature world.

Of course, all of Ryou Bakura's fan club wanted to be his wife and take care of his child. They all squealed about making him meals and being his doting spouse. They fantasized about the way his soft, British accent would drape over the words 'I'm home, my darling.' when his work day was over. He, on the other hand, was not too thrilled about any of that. At the beginning of class Ryou took his teacher aside and begged her rather desperately not to marry him off to any of them.

By the end of that once-dreaded health class, the English boy was relieved his request was granted.

_Wait,_ Ryou thought worriedly, _I don't have a partner…_

"Ryou Bakura!" their teacher called.

He looked up from his notebook, startled. "Y-yes?"

"It seems you have no wife! Though, by popular demand of quite a few of your friends, I'll be marrying you off to Elizabeth Howley – who, as you've probably noticed, is absent today."

Ryou cleared his throat as he felt his cheeks heat up. "Popular…demand?" he quietly inquired.

Mrs. Greenwood nodded, slightly grinning. "It seems your peers feel that you two would make a nice couple."

Immediately, Ryou's head darted towards Marina and Yugi. They were talking amongst themselves, smiling rather mischievously. Sighing, the ivory-haired young man shook his head. He was completely unaware of the death stares Elizabeth's empty desk was receiving.

Elizabeth.

She was certainly a firecracker. When she came to Domino at the end of her sophomore year in high school, she and Ryou connected. Akiefa Bakura, the spirit inside the Millennium Ring, knew of Elizabeth's past life in Egypt. She was the reincarnation of Hijra, Pharaoh Atem's younger sister and the love of the Thief King's dangerous life. Hijra had run off with Akiefa and obtained mysterious powers through a beautiful blue-green pendant. Hearing of this betrayal, Atem was forced to ban Hijra from coming past the castle walls. It hurt him, but it hurt him even worse to know that his own sister had picked his enemy over her flesh and blood. Later on in her life, Hijra's soul and powers were trapped inside of her pendant much as Akiefa was in the Ring and her brother in the Puzzle. The Ring and pendant were always together. When Ryou's father came back with the Millennium Ring he had planned on giving the pendant to his daughter, Amane, but soon after she died along with her mother. The necklace stayed in Ryou's room until Elizabeth's arrival. It was drawn to her.

She became close friends with Ryou, Yugi, Jonouchi, Anzu, Honda, and their friend Marina. They all experienced the insanities that came with a simple card game, they all went on adventures. Throughout that, Ryou and Elizabeth grew fond of one another; although they would never admit it. Ryou was much too shy and Elizabeth refused to acknowledge men romantically anymore. It was a situation their friends had to fix. And now, almost two years later, the opportunity arose.

After school, Ryou decided to bring the project information to Elizabeth's house along with other homework. She was often sick and he didn't want her falling behind academically. Her mother thought highly of that, which was certainly something, considering all of the chaos that had entered her daughter's life when they moved.

Ryou paced in front of the door to her house before knocking. _How am I going to tell her about this? _he wondered, nervously tapping his fingers against her books. He smelled her scent faintly on them and almost unwillingly relaxed, not noticing her mother standing behind him. She taught at the local middle school and came home shortly after the high school let out for the day.

"Ryou? Are you alright?" she asked.

He gasped, almost dropping the books he held. His eyes shot towards a short, middle-aged woman. She smiled a worn smile and resembled Elizabeth very slightly.

"Mrs. Howley, you startled me. I'm very sorry. I, uh, I brought Elizabeth her schoolwork from the day. Is she alright?"

Her mother liked that he didn't refer to her daughter as 'Izzy'. Ryou was proper, polite, and a well-behaved boy; someone she constantly pestered her daughter to date. Elizabeth was unwilling, though obviously interested. With a little laugh and a shake of her head, Mrs. Howley unlocked the front door, motioning for him to go inside. "She's fine. She was having a lot of trouble with her allergies. They gave her a little fever, but it should be down now. I swear, with her absences, she's lucky she'll be graduating."

Ryou sighed. "Don't be angry with her. She can't help it." he quietly replied.

Mrs. Howley's frustration towards Elizabeth never got so bad when Ryou was around. He was gentle and had a very calming aura about him; very unlike the spirit within him, she learned. "Make yourself comfortable, Ryou."

He slightly smiled at her, walking up to the kitchen. Ryou placed Elizabeth books on the counter and felt a warm sensation creep through his body, thinking about the assignment given to them today. Swallowing, Ryou's nerves returned.

_/Maybe you'll finally get laid./_

_//Bakura, sod off.//_

_/Don't speak to me that way! Stop being so panicky. This is your chance, you fool!/_

_//I…I'm not looking at it that way.//_

_/You Ra-forsaken prude./_

Their interaction was cut off by sneezing coming from the upstairs. Ryou chuckled as Mrs. Howley went up to tell Elizabeth that he had come to visit.

"WHAT? AND I LOOK LIKE THIS!?" a feminine voice bellowed.

"I thought you didn't care what you look like around boys," her mother retorted.

Ryou liked to listen to their bantering. He didn't have that sort of comical family interaction. Bakura certainly didn't count.

"Agh! I don't!" the voice coughed.

"Alright, then don't keep your friend waiting."

Mrs. Howley then walked back downstairs and told Ryou the patient would be with him shortly. She excused herself to go pick up Victoria, Elizabeth's 11-year-old sister, from Flute lessons.

Elizabeth splashed water on her face, hoping it would relax her puffy, brown eyes. That strategy was to no avail. Her heart was racing. It always did around Ryou. She hated it and loved it all at once. Sometimes she wished she had the courage to pursue him. Elizabeth didn't want to be a part of his fan club, though. She also had lost all of her faith in men and relationships; so another one was out of the question. Besides, she and Ryou were great friends. Why would she want to ruin that?

Hijra then materialized in a transparent-like form and sat on the bathroom's counter.

_Excuses, excuses, excuses…_

"Hijra! Come on, I already have a head ache."

_Follow your heart for once, Elizabeth. You two are bound to be together just as Akiefa and I are. It's fate._

"You don't know that for sure, and I have so much more to focus on. I can't waste my time with a guy."

_If it's the right guy, it won't be a waste of time._ Hijra's image faded.

Elizabeth groaned, putting her hair up in a claw clip. _[[Always an answer for everything.]]_

She exited the bathroom and trotted downstairs, ignoring that racing heart of hers.

As soon as Ryou saw her, he smiled. "Hello, Elizabeth!" he greeted. "How are you feeling?"

The pseudo-red head answered with an "elegant" combination of a sneeze and a cough. She then flushed from embarrassment.

"Bless you!" Ryou took the tea kettle off of the stove. "I suppose that answers my question. Sit down. I'll fix you some tea. That should help your sinuses."

Elizabeth sat down at the kitchen table and let her head fall into her hands. She sniffled and coughed. "Thank you. You Brits and your tea. Is that the cure for everything?"

He laughed and replied, "Just about!"

"Hm. I'll keep that in mind."

Ryou chuckled, pouring boiling water into a mug. He figured this was the perfect opportunity to bring up their assignment. Glancing over at Elizabeth, he admired her petite figure and the features of her face. Although her looks weren't exactly up to par on this day, he still thought of her as beautiful. Ryou brought the tea over and sat down next to her. "There you are! I'll take care of you while your ill." he said happily.

Elizabeth let herself smile and laugh ever so slightly, tracing the warm mug with her small fingers. "You don't have to do that!"

His eyes followed her fingers.

"Well, I want to… and," _Here we go... _"According to our new assignment in health class, I have to."

The allergy-ridden young woman looked up at him in confusion. "Heh?"

Ryou took a breath and began to explain. "We were assigned to be spouses. We have one month to simulate a marriage and eventual family. Our grade depends on how well and if we complete certain tasks listed in a folder given to us by Mrs. Greenwood. Er, we're also going to be given a fake baby…"

To his surprise, Elizabeth began giggling. He thought she'd be very much opposed to the idea considering her views on relationships in general.

"Hahaha! I'll have to introduce myself as Mrs. Elizabeth Bakura!" she joked, scolding herself at liking the sound of it.

Ryou blushed as she cleared her throat.

"So, uh, what are the tasks?" Elizabeth asked, changing the subject.

"Right!" Ryou took a blue folder from the counter. "They are split into tasks for the husband and for the wife and then there are tasks for us to complete together." He opened the folder and handed Elizabeth the papers to look over.

Seeing it all in writing made her a bit nervous. "…cooking? Oh man. Um. Ryou, I'm domestically challenged," she mumbled.

He chuckled. "You're not that bad of a cook! Besides I cook t—"

"No! I'll do my best. Besides, if you read the instructions if the female spouse doesn't complete her assigned things to do the overall couple will lose points."

Ryou smiled. "Are you sure?"

Elizabeth nodded with a cough. She sipped her tea. "Yep! I don't want to get a bad grade and I have to learn somehow, I guess. If I ever do decide to get married, I can't displease my real husband! God bless the man insane enough to marry me,"

The chocolate-eyed boy glanced at her. He folded his hands on the table, feeling his heart pound at his chest.

"Speaking of insane," he started, "Do you think it's crazy to know who you'd like to marry? At our age, I mean."

_What a stupid question! Why in bloody hell did I ask her that? I know what she's going to say. Bollocks! I'm such an idiot. _he thought, clenching his hands together.

Elizabeth thought a little before answering. It was no secret to anyone else how she felt about Ryou. It was her that was in denial. She wanted to live the rest of her young-adult years independent, focusing on college and her career. Her future is what mattered most to her; her well-being. After her experiences in relationships, casual or serious, Elizabeth came to find that no man was worth her time or love. But as she looked at Ryou, taken in by his handsome features and gentle persona, part of her thought that being with him wouldn't be an entire waste of time. Maybe Hijra was right… Maybe.

"No, I don't." she finally answered.

Ryou's eyes widened a little. He relaxed his shoulders and hands. Quietly, he said, "My intentions, then, may not be insane… but Elizabeth, I am."

There was a silence. Only the sounds of Elizabeth's occasional sniffles and outdoor noises could be heard. Ryou wondered if now was the perfect opportunity to tell her how he feels. She hadn't objected to his thought on marriage and they were "married" now, weren't they? Maybe there was something. Maybe they were fated to be together. Maybe all of their friends were right.

"Elizabeth," Ryou began.

Maybe this assignment was a sign.

"Yeah?"

Maybe he really could sweep her off of her feet.

"There's something I feel I have to confess…" he continued, feeling a little more confident.

Maybe he could cure the fear she had acquired.

Ryou took one of her hands gingerly in his. She blushed, looking confused, feeling a twitch in her nose.

"I've always l—"

"KYACHOO!" Elizabeth sneezed.

Maybe not.

Ryou blinked, removing his hand from hers. He wiped it off with a napkin.

"I AM SO SORRY!" she cried, immediately getting up to rush around for hand sanitizer.

He continued to blink, completely flabbergasted. Seriously? Did that just happen to him? He was so close to finally coming clean about his feelings for the girl of his dreams and she sneezed all over him. It wasn't even the sneeze he was concerned with! But was that a sign on how she'd react? Now there was so much more for Ryou to worry about.

_Impeccable timing, God. I must say, you've outdone yourself this time, _Ryou thought. He heard Bakura's faint chuckles at his moment of failure and flinched.

"Here! Here! Here!"

Ryou stared blankly at the objects placed, well, thrown, before him. Lysol and hand sanitizer were clumsily tossed onto the table. He then looked up at Elizabeth who was wearing rubber gloves and a mask over her mouth and nose. The sight of her franticness and the attempt at protecting him against allergies, which aren't even contagious, made him burst into a series of chuckles. _Alright, alright. Things could be worse. At least she didn't catch on._

He buried his head in his hands and began laughing heartily.

Elizabeth stood still. She took in the moment, enjoying the sound of his laughter. It's what she enjoyed the most; his voice. But, why was he laughing? Then, she looked at herself and felt immediately ten times humiliated. Falling back into a chair, she pulled the mask from her mouth and sighed heavily.

"I'm so sorry," she muttered, looking down, red in the face.

Ryou took a second to catch his breath and wipe the tears from his eyes. "Aahaha," he breathed. "Please, don't be sorry! That was… this was…" he motioned toward the sanitary objects on the table and chuckled again, "Thank you,"

_[You are such a fool.]_

_[[Hijra, I panicked. I sneezed all over him! That's disgusting!]]_

_[Seasonal allergies are not of a contagious nature and the boy was about to confess his love to you!]_

_[[Oh, shut up. You don't know that. It wouldn't work out anyway. I don't want a boyfriend.]]_

_[Yet you have a husband.]_

_[[I swear to God, I'll kill you again.]]_

Hijra stopped their link-communication with a laugh. Ryou noticed Elizabeth phased out and assumed Hijra was pestering her. He was surprised that Bakura hadn't really interfered with this fiasco. He had heard his obvious expression of amusement, but said nothing. It was odd of him. Observation was probably enough for now.

Elizabeth let out a frustrated sigh and snapped out of her head. She mumbled a 'you're welcome' to Ryou and sipped her tea, not wanting to potentially embarrass herself further. It was inevitable, though. No matter how hard she tried and how smooth she appeared, there were constant happenings to make her look foolish. She furrowed her eyebrows and frowned into her mug, thinking how she could successfully pull this assignment off. Was it even possible? Elizabeth couldn't even take care of herself; she could hardly react calmly towards situations that were simple to everyone else. She was petrified at the thought of even having another relationship and eventually getting married. How the hell did her teacher expect success from her having to simulate taking care of a family and acting as a wife? To Ryou, of all people!

_Eh? Why am I worrying so much? It's just an assignment. It's not like this is real. Ryou is my friend and we can pull this off. It's not I have serious feelings for him... _she thought, feeling her face warm up._ Heh. No, definitely not. It's an assignment. An assignment. For school. That's all. _ _This isn't a real relationship, there's no real baby, it's nothing. It's a simple, easy grade._

"Are you alright?" Ryou asked. "Your face looks flushed. Maybe you should lie down, eh?"

Elizabeth's eyes widened. She shook her head earnestly and removed her rubber gloves.

"No, no I'm okay. Just a little embarrassed," she let out a nervous laugh. "That was kinda dumb of me."

Ryou grinned gently as he stood up. He removed her near-empty cup of tea and brought it over to the sink. "I don't think it was dumb at all. Silly, perhaps, but caring. Sort of like a mother,"

He became proud of himself for coolly relating his comment to their project. Ryou leaned on the counter. "You'd probably make a fine one," he said.

Elizabeth looked over at him and her laugh went from nervous to certain. "There's no way. I just hope this simulator baby doesn't vomit, or this mother will have a lot of problems."

Ryou's eyes softened, acknowledging her phobia. _I could just take care of our child if that occurs, as the husband. As her husband, _he thought.


	2. 002

_Part 2 has arrived!  
I'm very grateful for the positive feedback I've received.  
Thank you for reading and welcoming my character.  
Keep in mind, there will be a plot twist. Irony is big in this story.  
Enjoy!  
Love, Catch Fireflies_

_---_

**Recap:** Ryou's eyes softened, acknowledging her phobia. _I could just take care of our child if that occurs, as the husband. As her husband, _he thought.

**/////**

The next day, in Health class, Elizabeth was back in the desk that was still receiving nasty looks from the members of Ryou's fan club in the same room. She put her head in her hands releasing a quiet, annoyed sigh, followed by running her fingers up through her bangs and curls. That group of girls bothered her for the sole reason that she insisted she wasn't competition. Elizabeth thought of herself as nothing to envy. They didn't give Anzu or Marina threatening glares and they were within Ryou's circle of friends as well. _Ryou and I are friends,_ she thought sternly. _Friends. That's IT. Stop looking at me!_

Meanwhile, Ryou was looking forward to getting started on their project. He, although nervous about being paired with Elizabeth, couldn't be more relieved that she was the one picked. Being in that classroom with that group of girls was enough torture and a reminder to thank his teacher a billion times over. He couldn't imagine spending an entire month "married" to one of them. Ryou didn't like the attention. Most of the time, he didn't even notice it; but that only made his admirers try harder. The only three girls that didn't fawn all over him were Anzu, Marina, and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth. He glanced over at the girl who was having an allergy-induced coughing fit.

The one girl he wouldn't mind receiving copious amounts of attention from looked more disgusted and annoyed by these girls than he was. She wasn't like them.

_[You're just like them.]_

Elizabeth gasped quietly at the sudden voice of Hijra. _[[WHAT? I am NOT.]]_

_[You really are. You know if one of them were picked instead of you, you'd be reacting in the same envious manner.]_

_[[That's just… ridiculous. Rifrickingdiculous. I would not be behaving so childishly.]]_

_[Not obviously, anyway. You'd hold all your fury in until you were alone with one of your friends or me. Then you would rant and rave like a madwoman about how much better of a partner you'd be to Ryou for various reasons—although you would mostly exaggerate your __**friendship**__ with him and how good of a grade you two would receive together only because you know each other so well.]_

_[[You have no proof.]]_

_[It's happened before.]_

_[[You have no proof.]]_

_[…just last mon--]_

_[[Shut up.]]_

Elizabeth heard Hijra scoff. A moment later, her mind was left at peace just in time for Mrs. Greenwood to cart in a plethora of mechanical babies. The entire class burst into sections of laughter, whispers, and conversations about what they were going to do with and name these infants.

"Alright, alright! Settle down, everyone! After I hand out your dolls, you can talk amongst yourself and try them out. You'll be given a set of instructions on how to tend to them. It reacts and acts just like a real baby. It has emotions, needs, wants, and even goes to the bathroom,"

A few students laughed.

"It won't be so funny when you neglect your baby and the computer chip inside of it records a failing grade." Mrs. Greenwood snapped.

The room became silent again.

"This is the first year we're doing this project so high-tech and realistically. A few other high schools have used these," she motioned towards the dolls, "and they were proven successful. So I trust that this will work out just fine. Since we are going on Spring Break, you'll all be able to email me incase of any malfunctions you may come across; but I'm sure, considering your minds are so technologically centered, you'll all be alright. I'll call you up pair by pair to receive your children from the lottery. The selection is completely random. Some of you may wind up with a different race, a special-needs child, or a set of twins. It all depends on the set of numbers you draw."

Everyone looked around at each other. This sounded more intense then they had set themselves up for.

Ryou's recently acquired feelings of ease about the situation left as quickly as they came. He swallowed at the realism of all of this. _It's like we're being trained for parenthood! For crying out loud, the girls here might as well really be pregnant! I-I'm sure this whole thing is easier than it looks… _He looked over at Elizabeth who seemed to be completely unaffected by this. Her gaze was a tired, bored one. That only made Ryou worry more. _What if she thinks I'll make a lousy father?! Or husband?! What if we fail?! I'm not so up on all of that fancy technology… I can't jeopardize her grade if I'm going to be the one to make a muck of this!_

_/I still think you should look at this as an opportunity to finally deflower yourself./_

_//Agh! Don't speak of such rubbish. That doesn't even relate to anything going on right now//_

_/How do you think babies are made, Ryou? The stork?/_

_//Of course not! But Elizabeth and I aren't really married! We aren't really having a baby!//_

_/Then why get so worked up about it? Your loud thoughts are giving me a headache./_

_//…B-because I don't want to…make a bad impression…in this way…//_

_/Ha! I'll admit I was the fool here. You can't take the flower away from a pansy!/_

Bakura laughed snidely before cutting off communication with his hikari. Ryou was now even more discouraged. He wondered why Bakura intruded in on his thoughts and issues if he was only going to make them worse anyway. Why couldn't he wind up with a rational, friendly yami like Yugi had? Even the pushy and promiscuous Hijra would have been better!

Ryou blushed. _No, no. Definitely not._

His thoughts were interrupted when a pair of small hands tousled his hair. His skin immediately warmed and his heart rate increased. He knew exactly who was playfully ruffling his snowy locks. Ryou jerked his head up from his desk and turned around to see Elizabeth standing behind him with an amused look on her face.

"Were ya day dreaming?" she asked with a smile and cough.

Ryou cleared his throat and shook his head. "No, no. Just kind of phased out is all. Why? Were we called?"

Elizabeth nodded and replied, "Yeah, about a minute ago. I figured when you didn't respond right away _someone_ was having a chat with you,"

Quickly, he stood with a chuckle.

"Yes, Bakura chimes in at all the wrong moments I'm afraid. Let's go get this baby, eh?"

---

After class, Elizabeth and Ryou went to meet up with the rest of their friends. Since it was the day before their week off, all of the seniors (and some of the juniors) in that health class were hyped up on that project. Marina, a childhood friend of Yugi's, was raving about hers and Yugi's adorable Asian baby simulator.

"I'm naming her Mei-Ling! She's so cute and Asian and I'm going to put her hair in cute pigtails everyday!" she cried happily, hugging the doll closer to her. It cooed and giggled, like a real baby.

She and Yugi always had that brother/sister like relationship. They bickered constantly, but in the end they were always there for each other. Although, neither of them were too thrilled they were partnered together for such an intense project.

"Marina, I think we should collaborate on name choices… Mei-Ling isn't really what I'd name my daughter," Yugi said.

Marina rolled her eyes. "Oh come on! She's so Asian! It's such a cute Asian name for this cute Asian baby!"

"Do you have to say Asian so much?"

"What's wrong with saying Asian?!"

Anzu watched as the two went back and forth. She wasn't all too thrilled that Yugi would be "committed" to anyone but her. Though, there was nothing she could really do about it. Her feelings about him weren't out in the open and she wasn't in the class. Besides, Marina was a good friend and she only had eyes for Jou. So Anzu really had nothing to worry about. It was actually nice to watch Yugi interact this way with someone. When Marina moved back to Domino, it was like Yugi acquired a sister.

"FINE! We'll name her Mei-Ling!" Yugi exclaimed, throwing up his hands.

Jou let out a laugh and gestured towards Elizabeth and Ryou, who were toting a pair of identical twins. "At least ya aren't in their situation!" he added.

Yugi and Marina laughed. They witnessed their inheritance of those twins first hand.

"Twins?" Honda began. "How the hell are they going to handle that? Is it even fair that your teacher gave out twins? They even look identical!"

"It's not as bad as the kids who got the deaf baby," Marina replied.

"There was a deaf baby?!" Anzu, Jou, and Honda asked.

Yugi nodded, "And one with Down's syndrome and others with special needs. They're really advanced."

"Yikes! Good luck to them. I'm glad I didn't take that class," Jou said. Then he chuckled. "As much as I would usually never say this, it's good to actually be in school for once! It's great to have a break from all them psychos,"

Marina looked at the golden-haired boy with a small smile, wishing he did take that class. She'd much rather be paired with him than Yugi when it came to simulating marriage. Ever since Mai left the group after the KC Tournament, it was easier for Marina to pursue Jou. She liked him from the moment she met him and cared about him exponentially.

"Oh, here they come!" she announced. "Heh, Izzy doesn't look too happy…"

"Can we just call them Thing 1 and Thing 2?" they overheard Elizabeth say with an irritated tone. She was carrying one of their mechanical twins in an infant's car seat. It was apparent that twins weren't all too pleasing to her.

Ryou's eyes widened. "N-no! That would be awful! Those aren't suitable names at all," he replied. He carried the other twin in an equally identical infant's car seat. As they approached their friends, they sighed in unison.

"Well, I don't wanna state the obvious here… but you two look a little tense," Jou cracked.

Elizabeth's expression became less amused than it already was as Honda let out an obnoxious chortle. Ryou had a nervous, yet cheerful expression on his face.

"We can't decide on names… and having completely identical twins is a little complicated," he explained.

Anzu bent over to look at each of the dolls. "Aw, they're so cute! Are they a boy and a girl?"

"Yes. But even so! They look completely identical." Elizabeth said.

"What about Oliver and Olive?" Marina suggested with a smile. "Those seem like names you two would like,"

Ryou smiled. "I think those are splendid names. They're quite cute. What do you think, Elizabeth?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I just hope we can distinguish them. Those names are awfully close," she uneasily replied, unsure if she was carrying the boy or the girl.

Jou and Honda began poking at their portable car seats.

"Do they have different behaviors or something?" Honda asked. "They just seem like regular dolls to me."

Marina nodded, gesturing to hers and Yugi's. "They act like real babies!"

With that, Mei-Ling cooed and giggled once more moving her little arms towards Yugi. He looked flattered and disturbed all at once. Taking the baby-simulator he mumbled, "She's kinda creepy…"

"Don't talk about little Mei-Ling that way!" Marina scolded. "She'll hate you! Forever! You'll be the worst father ever! What daughter wants to be called creepy by her own dad?!"

"It's not like she can understand me!" Yugi shot back.

"Maybe she can!"

"I don't think she can,"

"I think she can!"

"That would just be creepier than this machine baby already is,"

As Marina and Yugi were bickering again, Anzu took the baby Elizabeth was holding. Without having to remove its clothing, they were trying to figure out whether this infant was going to be Olive or Oliver.

Suddenly, Mei-Ling began to whimper in an uncomfortable manner. She then burped. Everyone turned to face Yugi, who looked like he had no idea what to do. Marina began gently patting Mei-Ling's back until she could burp again. Instead of a simple burp, a foul liquid came from the baby's mouth and dripped all over Yugi's uniform.

"Spit up!" Marina laughed. "Look! She's happy again!"

"UGH." Yugi groaned. "This is gross!"

Honda and Jou began to laugh while Anzu looked in her purse for tissues.

Ryou's eyes widened. _Oh no,_ he thought.

Elizabeth, who had set Olive and Oliver down onto the ground in their car seats, heard the commotion and stood up to see what had happened.

_**Thud.**_

---

The next thing she felt was coolness on her forehead. Elizabeth's eyes fluttered open and she shot up, breathing heavily. "WHERE'S THE BABY PUKE?! IS IT GONE?! WHAT HAPPENED?!" she cried, looking around, "and how did I get here?!"

Ryou chuckled a little, removing the damp cloth from her. They were in the nurse's office.

"You fainted," he said calmly. "It's all right now. We got Yugi cleaned up and you're just fine."

Elizabeth let out a long sigh and put her head in her hands.

"Are you serious?" she asked, humiliated. "I can't even handle pseudo-baby puke."

Chucking again, Ryou rubbed her back gently, a little concerned at her spine's slight protrusion. "That's what I'm here for!"

Elizabeth looked through her fingers at him. His touch gave her goose bumps. She must have been blushing, because his gentle, calm expression turned into a charming smile. Quickly, Elizabeth looked away and asked about the twins.

Ryou withdrew his hand and his smile disappeared. "Oh, they're just over there. Sleeping. That's all they've done since we've gotten them! Thank goodness they're quiet,"

As soon as he said that, they began to wail in unison. Ryou let out a nervous laugh as Elizabeth took the cloth back and put it over her face, falling back onto the bed.

---

When school let out, Ryou and Elizabeth went to her house to show her mother their new set of twins. She found it incredibly amusing and asked if they could tell them apart yet.

"To be honest, mom, I don't think we even know who the boy is and who the girl is," Elizabeth said.

Ryou blushed a little. "I do," he stated quietly.

Mrs. Howley and her daughter looked at him. "Oh?" they asked together.

The cloudy-haired young man walked over to where Oliver and Oliver were placed. He lifted one of them up and brought it over to where they had been talking. The eyes of the doll opened. It made a yawn-like noise and sort of cuddled into Ryou. He smiled.

"This is Oliver,"

Elizabeth gasped. "How do you know?!"

"Well, while you were under the care of the nurse I took the liberty of observing the features of the twins. Oliver has dimples. Olive doesn't,"

"What were you doing at the nurse's, Elizabeth? Were your allergies bothering you again?" Mrs. Howley asked.

"Don't ask…" her daughter answered, in awe of Ryou's attentiveness. She stared at Oliver in Ryou's arms. Her heart melted at the sight of him holding the life-like doll. She swallowed. _Damn it. I don't want to feel this. I don't want to feel this. Do...not…want…ugh._

"She fainted when Marina and Yugi's baby-simulator spit-up," he said with a laugh.

Mrs. Howley burst into laughter.

"You have to be kidding me!" she cried. "That's ridiculous!"

Elizabeth snapped out of her thoughts and glared at both Ryou and her mother. "Make fun of me all you want. Laugh it up. Whatever. I'm going to play with Olive."

She swiftly lifted the girl-twin from her car seat and strode from the living room out into the backyard. There she sat in the grass and placed Olive on her lap. With a sigh, she waited for the doll to wake up. _I can't do this._

_[I can't believe you fainted.]_

_[[This is going to be a lot harder than I thought.]]_

_[I'm rather excited to watch it happen.]_

_[[Thank you for the support, Hij. I really appreciate it.]]_

_[Your baby is crying.]_

_[[My what's doing what now?]]_

_[Oh for the love of Anubis…]_

Hijra left Elizabeth's mind alone so she could register the sobs coming from the mechanical infant she held. "A-ah! Oh crap! Uhh… p-please don't cry! Mommy's here?" she whimpered, panicking. She cradled Olive close to her and began humming any soothing melody she could think of.

Ryou watched from the window of her back door. He had left Oliver in the care of Elizabeth's sister and mother for a little while. They were curious on how these dolls operated. His eyes softened, seeing her rock the baby back and forth. He saw her stand up and begin to easily twirl around. It was almost as if she was dancing the child to sleep. Ryou quietly opened the door and stood out on the deck, not letting his eyes leave that sight. He leaned on the railing and smiled widely when he heard her sing.

"_I know you. I walked with you once upon a dream. I know you. The gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam. Yes I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem. But if I know you I know what you'll do. You'll love me at once. The way you did once upon a dream,_"

With a sigh of relief, Elizabeth stopped dancing and sat in the grass once more.

"Did she calm down?" Ryou asked, walking down the stairs of the deck to meet her.

Startled, she held in any yelp that was trying to force its way from her throat in order to keep Olive calm. "How," she started loudly. Quietly this time, she continued. "How long have you been out here?"

Ryou sat down next to her with a smug smile. He leaned back onto his elbows and looked over at her. "Long enough. I would calm down too if I had a mother who could sing like you,"

Elizabeth blushed and focused her attention on their simulator baby.

"My mom sang that to me when I was a baby. It always calmed me down and I was colic. So I figured it might work. She started crying pretty loudly out of nowhere," she explained.

"Well I think you did a great job,"

"Right back at you! We've got a true dad over here, being able to tell apart his identical twins!"

Ryou laughed and took Olive from Elizabeth. "Being a father might not be so terrible."

"Be careful what you wish for."


	3. 003

_I apologize sincerely for the delay!  
Writer's Block has been plaguing me for the longest time.  
I'm also insecure about this story, even though Marina says I shouldn't be.  
Here's Part 3! I hope you enjoy it!_

**Recap: **Ryou laughed and took Olive from Elizabeth. "Being a father might not be so terrible."  
"Be careful what you wish for."

* * *

A few days later, Elizabeth was sitting alone in her bedroom with the pair of mechanical twin babies she and Ryou were granted. The project had been going relatively smoothly. It was Spring Break, so everyone was able to collaborate. Nothing extremely chaotic was occurring just yet, which worried Elizabeth. She felt that it was the 'calm before the storm'. But that wasn't the only thing plaguing her. Seeing Ryou act like a father only stirred more feelings within her. Feelings she wanted to utterly reject, feelings that scared the ever living out of her.

She looked over at Olive and Oliver who were sleeping soundly on her bed. With a sigh, she silently thanked the heavens that they weren't awake while she was home by herself. Frankly, Elizabeth had herself convinced she wasn't prepared for motherhood. She didn't think she should be! At the age of eighteen, who would want to be? She wasn't some tribal woman who had to breed at the ripe age of thirteen! Elizabeth was a classy, independent young woman who, although clumsy and sickly, had a career and plan for herself!

"What in the world was Mrs. Greenwood thinking, assigning something like this!" she cried, throwing her hands up in the air. She then gasped, quickly covering her mouth, afraid she would wake up the twins.

They remained silent.

An exasperated sigh was released from Elizabeth as Hijra appeared in her transparent form.

"You were fine while you were with your friends," the elegant Egyptian woman said. She was seated next to the twins on Elizabeth's bed.

"That's because I don't really think when I'm with everyone. They take my mind off of what I should be freaking out about!" Elizabeth replied in a loud whisper, leaning against the wall.

Hijra shook her head, ignoring her hikari's foolish tone.

"You should not be 'freaking out' about anything,"

"But Hij, I'm not suited for this kind of stuff…"

Elizabeth slid to the floor, letting her sentence trail off.

"You do not want to be," Hijra stated.

"Eh, well… that, too."

Hijra stood up and leaned over the baby simulators. A small feeling of sadness went through her. She never got the chance to become a mother. Though Hijra wasn't the motherly type by any means, all women go through that stage where they think about bearing children and raising a family. She always thought hers and Akiefa's offspring would be impeccably beautiful, if they got the chance to exist. This sparked an idea.

Elizabeth observed her darker half, wondering what she was scheming.

"I am about to send you on what you mortals call a guilt trip,"

"Oh Christ, what?"

Hijra made her way over to Elizabeth and sat in front of her.

"Consider yourself blessed by the gods to even have this opportunity. Although they are not real children, some women never get this chance at all,"

The tone the Thief Queen spoke in was lined with smugness. As if she knew Elizabeth would overlook Hijra's anti-mom characteristics and automatically submit to defeat.

Elizabeth's eyes widened, feeling a pang of remorse and at the same time realizing her yami's plot.

"Oh Hijra! You son of a bitch!"

With that, Hijra laughed and vanished leaving the frantic redhead alone once more.

She groaned, leaning back against the wall. _Did she really pull that? Really? That's not a fair card to play at all. _Elizabeth began thinking up all of these tragic stories that had probably happened to women who could have had longed for children all their lives, but never got to care for their own. How could she be so brash and selfish, complaining about a couple of fake babies when women really did lose their opportunity to be a mom? Guilt panged her even worse when she thought of her own mother's miscarriages. _God damn it! _Hijra's point _was_ valid, though not appreciated.

Elizabeth stood up, her eyes making their way to Olive and Oliver who were still sleeping soundly on her bed.

"Alright," she muttered. "I can do this assignment, be a good fake mom, and not fall for Ryou. I can do this. I'm a strong, freewheeling woman! I can do anything!"

Her ears then twitched, hearing something. Elizabeth's heart began to race and she shut her eyes tightly. The noises were small retches. Everything was incredibly realistic. She felt herself begin to perspire and her breathing became heavy.

"…please God, no. Not while I'm alone. No. No. No…" she prayed, opening one eye and glancing over at the automated twins. Elizabeth drew in a sharp breath, spotting the vile expulsion. She clenched her fists. They were undoubtedly sweating. _Where is my cell phone? Where the hell is my cell phone...! _Becoming dizzy, she quickly grabbed her bag and fished in it for her cell phone. Olive or Oliver was beginning to cry now, waking the other twin.

Thoughts racing and eyes watering, she covered her nose and finally noticed her phone on the desk in her room. She leapt over and grabbed it, searching for Ryou's number.

_[Just take care of it yourself! You're acting like the infant here!]_

_[[I can't! I can't, I can't, I can't! And I am not! I'm afraid!]]_

_[You are impossible. Impossible! What are you going to do if Ryou is not available to drop everything and come rushing to clean up this artificial vomit?]_

_[[Just shut up! I've had enough of your crap today!]]_

_[…at least you did not faint this time.]_

Elizabeth growled and pressed send. It seemed like ages passed before the ringing stopped and the phone was picked up.

"Hello!"

The panicked young woman felt immediate relief as soon as she heard his voice.

"AH! RYOU! You have to help me, please! A baby vomited and I ca-"

"You've reached the voicemail of Ryou Bakura! Please leave a message and I'll gladly return your call. Cheerio!"

There was the signature automated voice giving instructions, and then the beep. Elizabeth was standing in complete shock and silence until the tone snapped her out of it. Both infants were wailing now. Dropping her phone, she also began to cry. Hijra appeared once more, standing behind her.

"I was just so forcibly motivated!" she moaned, picking up the authentic scent emitting from her spurious twins. Elizabeth felt herself pale and buried her face in her hands. It wasn't her fault she was cursed with emetophobia. Any time someone gagged or showed the slightest hint of nausea, she darted from the room before faint or the completely paralyzing bête noire hit her. In this case, though, she knew that she couldn't. Part of her was frozen in fear and the other stuck to the responsibility of at least staying in the same room as the mechanical infants she and Ryou were assigned to take care of. Now hysterical, Elizabeth started to ramble.

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I HAVE TO FAIL SO MUCH! DAMN IT! I can't move! I can't look over there! I can't breathe! I don't like this! How come what can go wrong will go wrong? WHO MADE UP THAT LAW! WHAT A DOUCHE BAG!" she sobbed uproariously.

Hijra let out a sigh so her hikari could register her presence.

Elizabeth jumped, eyes widening. "HIJRA!"

"Calm down," the spirit said. She glanced down at the floor, noticing her counterpart's phone was still open and connected to Ryou's voicemail. With a smirk, the umbra pondering the interesting message the snowy haired boy will receive. _Let me see what I can provoke_, she thought.

"HOW THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN!"

"First off, it is simulated baby spit-up. Not disgusting, grown man projectile vomit,"

Elizabeth gagged and groaned covering her mouth, "Stop it,"

"Secondly, what happened to your little speech about your new drive and incentive to succeed with this task? You know, 'ax to the grind'! Being a good fake mother and not falling for Ryou all at once, hm? Are you admitting that you cannot handle it?"

The lighter half clenched her fists and whirled around to face Hijra.

"WHAT DOES MY FALLING FOR RYOU HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?"

Hijra shrugged, grinning to herself. "I'm just repeating what you mentioned, my darling," She trotted over to Olive and Oliver, leaning down to examine the situation. "Oh, it's not so bad."

Elizabeth timidly inched over behind her yami. "Really?" she whimpered.

"Mhm,"

Maybe the entire situation was just too much for her because, although the expulsion wasn't as bad as she initially thought it would be, Elizabeth collapsed unconscious anyway. Hijra took over her body for a moment to hang up the cellular device that rested on the floor of her bedroom, and then returned to the pendant in which she inhabited leaving her hikari languished; Olive and Oliver still blubbering.

**/**

Meanwhile, Ryou Bakura was in a rather cheerful mood. The weather was lovely; he had been spending a lot of time with his friends, and Bakura hadn't been pestering him too much. The day was generally going well. He was lounging in his home's guest room turned studio. When his passion for Monster World and creating the figurines came about, his father created a place for him to pursue the arts he was interested in. It was sort of a compensation for hardly being around, Ryou supposed. He did appreciate the extravagant gift very much, but Ryou would trade anything his father gave him for time; time to spend with his dad as most teenaged boys would want and did have.

He was seated in front of his easel slightly smiling. It was positioned at an angle that gave him a picturesque view of the park and city visible from the two adjacent windows of that room.

Often, Ryou would paint. He painted everything and anything he could think up; his friends, his family, scenic displays, objects, dreams he had, nightmares he had. His favorite painting was that of his mother and Amane. It was framed in the studio. Whenever he felt discouraged and alone, or whenever Bakura gave him a hard time, he spoke and prayed to them. Sometimes Ryou would swear that he could feel their presence and comfort again. It was a sense that he treasured.

Currently the canvas was blank. His chocolate eyes wandered over to the violin gently rested in its open case in the corner of the room. Ryou was debating whether he should pursue bringing to life the current image in his mind or play the instrument he was taught as a child. He wasn't sure if painting his present perception would be alright. It was a wish; something he'd been thinking about a lot lately.

He had painted Elizabeth before, much to her objections, but this time he wanted it done differently. During these past few days, as she tried to attempt a motherly way of being, Ryou became inspired. Seeing her clumsily care for those mechanical twins caused him to smile internally and externally. He felt himself warm at the sight of her. Ryou was very aware that his feelings for Elizabeth were intense, but recently something more was building within him.

"She'd probably think you're perverted or twisted or something," Bakura's deep voice bellowed.

Ryou slightly jumped at the sudden appearance of his yami. He let out a sigh.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything of the sort but I believe Elizabeth is aware of who the twisted one is,"

Bakura scoffed. "Even so, I do not think painting that little shrew a family portrait of the family you wish existed would be a wise move,"

"Elizabeth is not a shrew!" Ryou protested, standing to go examine his paints. He frowned. It irritated him that his spirit would refer to her in such a derogatory sense. Though, at the same time, he knew it would be out of Bakura's character not to insult. Looking through the different colors and picking out a variety of brushes, he saw Bakura pick up the violin out of the corner of his eye.

"She is very much a shrew. Do not deny it. You're very much aware of how _against _men she is. Are you sure she is not of the homosexual nature?" the apparition retorted, plucking some of the strings on the delicate instrument.

Ryou marched back over to his easel to place his supplies down. He sat again and folded his arms.

"Just because she does not like relationships doesn't mean she fancies females," he grumbled, "and be careful with that!"

Bakura rolled his eyes, shrugging, and put the violin back in its case. "So you are going to paint it anyway?"

Ryou stared at the blank canvas for a moment before responding. He wanted to, but he did take note of what Bakura said. One thing he didn't desire was to push Elizabeth away. Their friendship was strong. A sudden romantic gesture might scare her off, especially being the Bakura-dubbed shrew she apparently was. There was no way Ryou wanted to jeopardize what little they did have. If only he could find a way to break through her wall. He had some idea as to why it was up, but the details were never shared. She was always very hesitant when the topic relating to her love life arose in conversation. Ryou was unaware if anyone in their circle of friends were even filled in on what had happened a few years prior.

"I know she can be affectionate and loving, Bakura. I have seen it,"

"_Tch_. She's a bloody harpy. Since she's come here any man that has shown an interest in her has been eaten alive. At least we know she has some Hijra in her. Surely _you _of all people could not handle that,"

Ryou furrowed his brows, exhaling in a frustrated manner. He was put down and discouraged constantly. He wondered why Bakura even came out to speak to him if he was only going to be treated like garbage. The English young man stood and covered his paints, preparing to leave the studio.

"And where do you think you're going?" Bakura asked.

"Elizabeth has the twins today and I haven't checked up on her yet. It's her first time with them alone," Ryou answered quietly and curtly.

The Thief King sensed his irked tone and smirked. "You know that I am right, don't you,"

"I know that I am underestimated constantly; about everything,"

"Then prove me wrong, host,"

"How?" Ryou slightly clenched his fists. _I shouldn't have to prove anything to him,_ he thought angrily.

"Vow that you'll help me obtain the Millennium Items, and do so willingly this time," Bakura snarled.

Ryou flinched. He knew that was coming again. There was no way that his dark spirit would just give up on his quest out of nowhere. His immortal soul was committed to gaining that immense amount of power and Ryou was cursed with the burden of bearing it. He couldn't refuse. He'd be punished severely, just as he had been many times before. The white-haired innocent didn't say a word. He moved forward out of the room with the awareness of submission, his head hanging low and his chocolate eyes welding with tears. Ryou's stomach churned at the idea of hurting his friends. So much had started going right; it was only natural that Murphy's Law took effect.

Bakura grinned sickly.

"I'll be taking your silence as a yes," he sneered, disappearing.

As soon as Ryou was certain that Bakura was no longer out, he went into his bedroom. He longed to tell Yugi of Bakura's plan to continue his malicious mission, but couldn't. The amount of pain Bakura would inflict on Ryou would be too much. He sighed exasperatedly and sat down on his bed, putting his head in his hands. _I'm sure father didn't intend on my possessing an evil spirit. _

He then wondered what would have happened if Amane had gotten the pendant Elizabeth now has. Would it have rejected his sister completely? Or would Hijra have just stayed dormant until Elizabeth showed up? These Egyptian items, Sennen or not, were way too complicated to comprehend just yet.

Lifting his head back up Ryou's eyes met his cell phone, which was charging on his nightstand. He noticed it lit up and blinking, assuming the battery was full again. Unplugging it, a voicemail alert appeared. Ryou checked the missed calls and saw Elizabeth's name.

"I hope everything is alright…" he trailed off to himself, dialing the number to check his messages. What he heard was not what he expected to hear. It was distant so he guessed that her phone had been dropped, but the sobs of the automated twins were audible.

"_I was just so forcibly motivated! I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I HAVE TO FAIL SO MUCH! DAMN IT! I can't move! I can't look over there! I can't breathe! I don't like this! How come what can go wrong will go wrong? WHO MADE UP THAT LAW! WHAT A DOUCHE BAG! HIJRA!" _

"_Calm down," _

"_HOW THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN!"_

"_First off, it is simulated baby spit-up. Not disgusting, grown man projectile vomit,"_

"_Stop it,"_

"_Secondly, what happened to your little speech about your new drive and incentive to succeed with this task? You know, 'ax to the grind'! Being a good fake mother and not falling for Ryou all at once, hm? Are you admitting that you cannot handle it?"_

"_WHAT DOES MY FALLING FOR RYOU HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?"_

"_I'm just repeating what you mentioned, my darling. Oh, it's not so bad."_

"_Really?" _

"_Mhm,"_

The next thing Ryou heard was something hitting the ground. A moment later her side disconnected. He swallowed nervously with a plethora of thoughts racing through his mind. Before assessing any, he grabbed his car keys and ran out of his home to go see exactly what had happened. As he started up his car and began his little drive to Elizabeth's house, the message echoed in his head.

"Falling for Ryou…?" he muttered, blushing a little bit. "No, no. I must've taken it out of context. I can't over think this right now. She probably fainted again,"

He pulled up her driveway and sprinted to the front door. To his dismay, it was locked.

"Ah! Bollocks!" he cried. "The only day she decides to lock the door!"

Ryou ran into the backyard, praying that at least one of the two doors were opened. He really didn't want to break into the Howley house. He really didn't know how to break into a house. Bakura did; and Ryou was reminded of that from the moment he discovered the inaccessible front door.

The lower door was locked. Ryou held his breath, walking up the deck's steps. _Couldn't Hijra just make this loads easier by inhabiting her body?_ _Of course not! _

He shut his eyes as his hands gripped the handle, preparing his attempt to slide the door open.

With a grunt, he surprisingly succeeded. A sigh of relief escaped him as he stepped inside of the kitchen.

_/Damn! I was looking forward to breaking in!/_

Ryou chuckled victoriously as he heard Bakura growl. Immediately, he trotted through the kitchen and up the stairs into Elizabeth's room. He saw her unconscious against her bed and the twins asleep. Cringing at the smell, he noticed that Olive had spit-up.

"Oh dear," he breathed.

**/**

Moments later Elizabeth's eyes fluttered open. She inhaled deeply and sat up, looking around. She was alone. Panic rushed through her. She jumped out of bed ignoring the sudden wooziness that inhabited her. Stumbling out of her room, she called for Olive and Oliver, wondering how she had gotten into her bed in the first place. The last thing she remembered was seeing what she didn't want to see.

"OLIVE! OLIVER!"

Was her house robbed? Elizabeth figured those mechanical babies would be worth quite a bit of money. _No! I locked the front door this time!_

She ran down the stairs and looked around, gripping onto the piano to keep from falling over. Her heart was racing rapidly. "Shit… shit! I messed up again!" she grumbled, leaning over. "Where the hell could they be?"

Ryou, who was on the deck with the twins, saw Elizabeth keeled over the piano. He rushed inside to her.

"Elizabeth! Elizabeth, are you alright?"

She gasped and shot straight up to face him.

"Y-you! How did you get here? Why are you here?" she wheezed, holding her head.

"I… um… you need to sit! You're white as a sheet!" Ryou said, guiding her to a chair. "When did you come to?"

Elizabeth curled up on one of the chairs in the living room. "A minute or two ago," she answered. "I freaked out when I saw that those baby sims weren't in my room,"

"I took care of it. You must've fainted when Olive spit up,"

Elizabeth cringed. "How did you know to come here?"

"I got your voicemail…"

There was a silence. Elizabeth swallowed.

"What… what voicemail…?" she asked.

Ryou cleared his throat.

"Well, you had called. I suppose your phone never shut off because a very frantic conversation between you and Hijra had been recorded,"

Color rushed to the young woman's face; the shade of embarrassment. "What did you hear?" she asked flatly.

"Oh not much… it just sounded… upset,"

"Oh alright…"

Elizabeth and Ryou didn't make eye contact. They both felt painfully awkward for reasons the other wasn't aware of. Elizabeth was half convinced he didn't hear any of her and Hijra's episode. She was praying the phone was too far out of earshot because if he did hear anything, Ryou would have an idea of how she felt and that would be a huge, humiliating problem. First of all, she had him convinced for a good few years that she was not for all of that romantic, relationship nonsense. Second of all, rejection is not a pleasant thing to experience in any light for anyone and she was just about one-hundred percent sure he wouldn't return the feelings.

_What feelings!_ she thought. _There are no feelings! And how did I not notice the phone still open?_

Ryou was now very suspicious. If the voicemail that was "accidentally" left on his phone really wasn't a big deal to her, she wouldn't have acted the least bit jumpy. He pondered the portion of the message where Hijra mentioned Elizabeth _trying_ to **not** fall for him. Ryou wondered if that meant she had or had started to, but just didn't want to for whatever reason that kept her from anything hinting at a relationship in the first place. Ryou had to change that. He had to break down that barrier, but not in an overwhelming way. So the only problem currently was safely winning her over.

"I'm sorry," he said suddenly.

Elizabeth looked up at him. "For what?"

"For not being here. I should have thought about what could've happened,"

"Oh that's not your fault. I'm really terrible at this," she assured him with a nervous laugh.

"According to what I did hear, you had been motivated though. No?"

Anxiety struck Elizabeth. _So he did here things…_ She laughed again, attempting to shrug it off.

"Ah yeah, Hijra was sort of giving me a pep talk. I guess it didn't cure my fear of vomit,"

Ryou gave her a comforting smile. "And that's why I should have been here,"

"Don't worry about it. Where are those babies now?"

"Outside. We should probably go check up on them, eh? I cleaned everything up while you were zonked out," he answered.

She nodded, agreeing.

As they spent the rest of that evening together, ideas were flowing through Ryou's mind. He knew what he had to do and that he only had a short amount of time to do it; he just didn't know how.


End file.
